Who painted The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents?

The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents was painted by William Blake in 1792.

Where can I see The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents?

The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents?

The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents

William Blake , 1792

The Infant Hercules Throttling the Serpents is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist William Blake. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1792, this graphite drawing by William Blake portrays a youthful Hercules confronting two serpents. The composition captures a moment from the classical myth in which the infant hero, destined for greatness, battles the snakes sent to end his life. Blake’s rendering condenses the dramatic narrative into a compact, sharply outlined study.

Subject & Meaning

The work references the early episode of the Hercules myth, wherein a jealous deity dispatches venomous snakes to the infant’s cradle. By depicting the baby calmly grasping the coiling creatures, Blake emphasizes the innate strength and resolve of the hero, suggesting an allegorical triumph of inner power over external threats.

Technique & Style

Executed entirely in graphite, the drawing relies on precise, angular lines to define the figures. The stark contrast between the smooth, placid facial expression of the child and the sinuous, overlapping forms of the snakes creates visual tension. Blake’s handling of line conveys both the delicacy of the infant and the dynamic movement of the serpents.

History & Provenance

Although Blake was largely unacknowledged as an artist during his lifetime, his drawings have since been re‑evaluated as integral to the Romantic period’s visual culture. This particular piece, dated 1792, forms part of the corpus that later scholars have used to trace Blake’s engagement with mythological subjects and his development as a draughtsman.